Johannes T Reiter, Freya Schulte, Tobias Bauer, Bastian David, Christoph Endler, Alexander Isaak, Fabiane Schuch, Felix Bitzer, Juri-Alexander Witt, Elke Hattingen, Ralf Deichmann, Ulrike Attenberger, Albert J Becker, Christoph Helmstaedter, Alexander Radbruch, Rainer Surges, Alon Friedman, Theodor Rüber
OBJECTIVE: Interictal blood-brain barrier dysfunction in chronic epilepsy has been demonstrated in animal models and pathological specimens. Ictal blood-brain barrier dysfunction has been shown in humans in vivo using an experimental quantitative magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) protocol. Here, we hypothesized that interictal blood-brain barrier dysfunction is also present in people with drug-resistant epilepsy. METHODS: Thirty-nine people (21 females, mean age at MRI ± SD = 30 ± 8 years) with drug-resistant epilepsy were prospectively recruited and underwent interictal T1-relaxometry before and after administration of a paramagnetic contrast agent...
March 4, 2024: Epilepsia